I’ve been obsessed with brown butter in my cookies lately, and let me tell you—adding dry milk powder while the butter browns takes the nutty, caramelized flavor to a whole new level. These salted butter chocolate chip cookies are thick, chewy, and get the perfect finishing touch with flaky Maldon sea salt sprinkled on top right before baking. Trust me, once you try this method, there’s no going back to regular cookies.
| Preparation Time | 30-40 minutes |
| Cooking Time | 10-15 minutes |
| Total Time | 40-55 minutes |
| Level of Difficulty | Medium |
| Servings | 24 cookies |
Estimated Nutrition
Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):
- Calories: 4100-4400
- Protein: 40-48 g
- Fat: 210-230 g
- Carbohydrates: 550-600 g
Ingredients
For the brown butter:
- 1 cup unsalted butter (ideally European-style for higher fat content)
- 1 tablespoon dry milk powder (added during browning for extra toasted flavor)
For the cookie dough:
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional, to enhance chocolate)
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips (60% cacao)
For the topping (optional):
- Flaky Maldon sea salt for finishing
Step 1: Prepare Equipment and Mise en Place
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, and espresso powder (if using).
Set this dry mixture aside.
This prep work ensures everything is ready when you need it, so you can focus on the most important step: browning the butter.
Step 2: Brown the Butter and Bloom the Milk Powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon dry milk powder
Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, watching carefully as it transforms from foamy to golden and nutty-smelling, about 5-8 minutes.
Just as the butter reaches a rich amber color and the milk solids begin to brown, sprinkle in the dry milk powder and stir constantly for 30 seconds to toast it—this adds a subtle caramelized depth that regular butter can't provide.
Pour the browned butter immediately into a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 5-7 minutes until it's just warm to the touch.
Step 3: Cream the Butter with Sugars
- 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Once the browned butter has cooled slightly, add both the packed light brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl.
Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture is well combined and the sugars begin to dissolve into the butter, creating a caramel-colored base.
This step incorporates air and helps develop the tender crumb structure in your cookies.
Step 4: Build the Wet Mixture with Eggs and Vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, followed by the egg yolk, whisking well after each addition to ensure they're fully incorporated.
Pour in the vanilla extract and whisk until the mixture is creamy, pale, and uniform.
The egg yolk adds richness and ensures a chewier texture—I always use room-temperature eggs because they incorporate more smoothly and create a better emulsion with the butter.
Step 5: Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients
- dry ingredient mixture from Step 1
- 2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
Pour the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 into the wet mixture and fold gently with a spatula until just combined—stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour.
Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cookies tough, so resist the urge to stir too much.
Once the dough comes together, fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
Step 6: Shape and Bake the Cookies
- dough with chocolate chips from Step 5
Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, shape the dough into balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes, until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look slightly underdone—they'll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven.
I always pull mine out when they look just shy of done because they firm up beautifully as they cool.
Step 7: Finish with Flaky Salt and Cool
- Flaky Maldon sea salt for finishing
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle each one generously with flaky Maldon sea salt while they're still hot—the salt grains will stick to the surface and create a beautiful contrast with the sweet chocolate.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes to set slightly, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
The warm, slightly gooey texture combined with that briny salt finish is what makes these cookies truly special.
Brown Sugar Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, fine sea salt, and espresso powder (if using). Set this dry mixture aside. This prep work ensures everything is ready when you need it, so you can focus on the most important step: browning the butter.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat, watching carefully as it transforms from foamy to golden and nutty-smelling, about 5-8 minutes. Just as the butter reaches a rich amber color and the milk solids begin to brown, sprinkle in the dry milk powder and stir constantly for 30 seconds to toast it—this adds a subtle caramelized depth that regular butter can't provide. Pour the browned butter immediately into a large mixing bowl and let it cool for 5-7 minutes until it's just warm to the touch.
- Once the browned butter has cooled slightly, add both the packed light brown sugar and granulated sugar to the bowl. Whisk vigorously for about 2 minutes until the mixture is well combined and the sugars begin to dissolve into the butter, creating a caramel-colored base. This step incorporates air and helps develop the tender crumb structure in your cookies.
- Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, followed by the egg yolk, whisking well after each addition to ensure they're fully incorporated. Pour in the vanilla extract and whisk until the mixture is creamy, pale, and uniform. The egg yolk adds richness and ensures a chewier texture—I always use room-temperature eggs because they incorporate more smoothly and create a better emulsion with the butter.
- Pour the dry ingredient mixture from Step 1 into the wet mixture and fold gently with a spatula until just combined—stop as soon as you no longer see streaks of flour. Overmixing develops gluten and can make the cookies tough, so resist the urge to stir too much. Once the dough comes together, fold in the chocolate chips until evenly distributed.
- Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop or your hands, shape the dough into balls and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 10-11 minutes, until the edges are set and golden but the centers still look slightly underdone—they'll continue cooking on the hot pan after you remove them from the oven. I always pull mine out when they look just shy of done because they firm up beautifully as they cool.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately sprinkle each one generously with flaky Maldon sea salt while they're still hot—the salt grains will stick to the surface and create a beautiful contrast with the sweet chocolate. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes to set slightly, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely. The warm, slightly gooey texture combined with that briny salt finish is what makes these cookies truly special.